AFP
23/01/09
KINSHASA– Le chef tutsi de la rébellion congolaise Laurent Nkunda, en fuite, a été arrêté jeudi soir au Rwanda, annonce vendredi matin un communiqué officiel du chef de la police de la République démocratique du Congo.
"L'état-major conjoint FARDC (armée congolaise) et éléments RDF (armée rwandaise) informe l'opinion publique de l'arrestation du général déchu Laurent Nkunda jeudi à 22h30 en cavale sur le territoire rwandais après avoir opposé une brève résistance à nos militaires à Bunangana", indique le communiqué signé de l'inspecteur général de la police de RDC, John Nundi.
Les forces rwandaises et congolaises étaient arrivées jeudi soir aux portes de la localité congolaise de Bunangana, fief du chef de la rébellion du Conseil national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP), dans l'est de la République démocratique du Congo.
© 2009 AFP
General Nkunda ‘arrested by Rwanda’
| By RNA Reporter | |
| Friday, 23 January 2009 | |
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Maj. Gen Laurent Nkunda, the recently ousted leader of the CNDP has been arrested by Rwandan security as he tried to resist a joint operation involving Rwanda and DRC to disarm FDLR militias, the Congolese government says. He was arrested at around midnight local time or 22:30 GMT as he fled into Rwanda, the operation's joint command said in a statement. The arrest was also confirmed by his rival General Bosco Ntaganda who says he has been nabbed “probably because he has cases to answer”. Ntaganda, who was the rebel group’s chief of staff, took over control accusing his boss of incompetence and trying to lead the movement like his own property. Rwanda is said to have about 4000 troops after they were apparently invited by the Kinshasa government as “observers” to a scheduled offensive against Rwandan FDLR rebels there. “The joint operations command… informs the public that the ex-general Laurent Nkunda was arrested on Thursday, January 22 at 2230 hours while he was fleeing on Rwandan territory after he had resisted our troops at Bunagana with three battalions," a Congolese-Rwandan official statement said. Gen Nkunda is being detained in Rwanda, and is expected to be handed over to Congolese authorities soon, the BBC's Karen Allen reports from Goma in DR Congo's North Kivu province. A UN panel accused Kigali authorities and businessmen of financing and arming General Nkunda as a proxy in the Congo, as its neighbour also armed the FDLR. Rwanda denies any links with the controversial general wanted in Kinshasa for treason, and by the UN on war crimes. Officials in Rwanda are yet to discuss the latest developments.
Rwanda News Agency |